Most of us remember Shakespeare’s portrayal of Lady Macbeth, the ambitious woman who persuaded her husband to murder King Duncan and take the Scottish throne for himself.
This novel is based on history, not on the Shakespeare play. While there are few written records about Macbeth’s reign, the author studied eleventh century Scotland’s history and culture and consulted historians of the period to get us as close to the real Lady Macbeth as possible.
Lady Macbeth begins her story with the words, “I am granddaughter to a king and daughter to a prince, a wife twice over, a queen as well. I have fought with sword and bow…I have loved deeply and hated deeply, too. I know embroidery and hawks and kingship, and more magic than I should admit.” Susan Fraser King portrays her as a strong woman who can join in a fight, act as regent, and adapt to two husbands who were not of her own choosing. She lived in a violent time, when Vikings ruled the sea and murder of close relatives was not uncommon among the ruling classes. Many a person claimed to have the ability to foretell the future, and the Celtic ways remained alongside the Christian faith.
If you enjoy historical fiction, you’ll probably like this novel!
(Helen Snow, Information Services)
Filed under: Fiction | Tagged: Historical Murder and Intrigue
